3 3

was

partially replaced by dry

peas ^or urea, the latter not

exceeding

^1.5

%

of the concentrate in any case;

- The

problem

^of

protein supplementation

of farm cereal mixtures is not

completely

^solv-

ed. Even if there is free access to cereals and

protein feed, over-consumption

of the latter is almost

always

^{the rule.}

Amino acid requirements ^of preruminant ^lambs

P. PATUREAU-MIRAND M. THERIEZ

(

*

)

Laboratoire d’étude du métabolisme

azoté, (

**

)

Station de Recherches ^sur

l’Élevage

^des

^Ruminants,

Centre de Recherches de

Clermont-Ferrand, I.N.H.A.,

.,

Theix

6 3110

^Beaumont

(France).

The amino acid

requirements

^of

preruminant

^{lambs were}

tentatively

determined

by

^different

methods:

- ewe milk amino acids are assumed to

satisfy

the amino acid

requirement

oflambs and are

compared

to those of cows milk

(Table I);

- the amounts of essential amino acids

ingcsted by

^{lambs in which the}

protein requirement

is satisfied may be used ^as

rcugh

estimations of the amino acid

requirements

^of

preruminant

lambs

(Table 2 ).

This method of evaluation tends to underestimate the

requirements

^{for the}

limiting

am.ino acids of the

experimental protein,

^{and to} overestimate the

requirements

for amino acids in excess of that

protein.

The

requirements

^{for some} essential amino acids were

directly

determined

by measuring

the

nitrogen

balance and

/or

the blood level of free amino acids of lambs fed

increasing

^amounts

of those amino acids.

Thus,

the methionine

requirement

^of

preruminant

^{lambs was about}

2 .

0

g /d (Fig. I),

^{i.e. 2.6}

g /d

^of

sulphur

amino acids.

The amino acid

requirements

^of

fast-growing

^lambs

(z 50

to 300

g /d),

^evaluated

by

^{the diffe-}

rent

methods,

^arc summarized in Table 5. It may be inferred that amino acid

requirements

vary

according

^to age and

feeding

^level. The amino acid

requirements

^of

8-day

^old

preruminant

lambs fed ad libitum seemed to be satisfied

by 6 7

g

/d

^{of cow milk}

protein supplemented by o. 3

g

/d

of DL methionine and _o.9

g/d

^{of L}

lysine.

When the lambs were Zi

day old, they

^needed

72

g /d

^{of cow milk}

protein supplemented by

^o.

I g Id

of DL methionine and o. j

g /d

^{of L}

lysine,

if fed ad libitum :

7 6 g /d

^{of cow milk}

protein supplemented by

0.3

g Id

^{of DL} methionine if the

feeding

^{level was}

only

⁸⁰

%

of ad libitum feed

consumption.

Effect of dehydrated pelleted hay

^on

^calcium

and phosphate metabolism in lambs

J.

^{P. BARLET}

Station de

Physiopathologie

^{de la}

Nutrition,

Centre de Recherches de

Clermont-Ferrand, LN.R.A.,

Theix,

63110 Beaumont

(France).

In

3 -month-old

^{ram lambs fed}

dehydrated pelleted

^lucerne

hay,

^the

urinary

and faecal excre-

tion of calcium was

significantly higher

than in control lambs fed normal lucerne

hay (Table II).

The causes for these differences are still unknown. This may be due to ^an increase in the

speed

of

dehydrated pelleted hay

^transit

through

^the

digestive

^tract.

Nevertheless,

this increase in calcium

urinary

and faecal excretion may be

responsible

for the bone deformation observed in lambs fed

dehydrated pelleted hay during

^a

long

^time.

In lambs fed

dchydrated pelleted

rye-grass

hay,

^the

daily urinary

excretion of

inorganic phosphorus

^was very

high (Table III)

and reached values similar to those observed in renal-stone

prone lambs.

^{Such an} increase in

daily urinary

^{excretion of}

inorganic phosphorus

^{was not observ-}

ed in lambs fed

dehydrated pelleted

^lucerne

hay. Thus,

the calcium content of the

hay

^seems

to

play a major

role in the control of the

urinary

excretion of

inorganic phosphorus

^{in lambs.}

Effect

on

breeding ^of cabbage feeding

G. BRICE C.

JARDON 1.T.O,b’.I.C.,

34, bd de la

Gare,

31500 Toulouse

Cabbage

^{is used more and more at certain}

periods

of the ycar ^as the a sole meal » in ewes

kept

^{on zero}

grazing.

^However,

depending

^{on the}

variety

^or

growth stage

^at crop

time,

^this food contains

goitrogenic

substances which disturb the

working

^{of the}

thyroid

^and

perhaps

^ova-

rian

glands by stopping

iodine assimilation.

When fed to ewes at the end of pregnancy,

cabbage

^{causes a}

high mortality

rate of the lambs at birth and disturbs their

growth.

The month before and after artifical

insemination,

this green fodder leads ^to lower

fertility

^and

prolificacy

^rates.

It seems that these difficulties aie fewer whcn

cabbage feeding

is restricted. In

spite

^of

this, cabbage

^{remains an} attractive food in

pasture

^{or zero}

grazing,

but should be reserved for

lactating

^or

dried-up

^{ewes, and not be}

given

^to

mating

^{ewes, as}

long

^{as an efficient}

coirecting

factor has not been found.

Home range behaviour and

use

of pastures by ^unherded sheep

^{on an}

alpine range

Y. FAVRE

J.

P. SIGNORET

C.T.G.!.E.!’., LN.E.R.M.,

^Gvenoble

Laboratoire de Rechevches sur le

c O n/portement

^{sexuel et}

social,

Centre de Recherches de

Tours, LN.R.A.,

A!oi!!//)’ 3!38o

^Vlonrzaie

(F) ’ amce)

The home range behaviour of

sheep kept

^{on an}

alpine

range in

high

altitudes in the

Alps

^is

studied.

Individual flocks remain as a stable social unit without

mixing.

^{Each uses an exclusive}

home range with stable

camping

^{sites and}

grazing

^areas,

although

the flocks often group

together, especially during

the rumination

period

in the middle of the

day.

^When

meeting during grazing,

the flocks

separate

as soon as

possible.

^{As a} consequence, the

pasture

^is

fairly uniformly used,

and grass

production

^is

correctly

^utilized

by

^the

sheep.

In this very difficult

environment, weekly checking by

^a

shepherd

is sufficient to limit the losses to i p. ¹⁰⁰

during

^{each of}

the

years of observation.

Such a

system

^{could be}

profitable

^for

using

mountain ranges.